Big Improvement In West Java Schools

[marcus]

From https://bandung.kompas.com/read/202...a-sekolah-tak-jual-buku-dan-larang-study-tour
Title : Dedi Mulyadi Asks Schools Not to Sell Books and Ban "Study Tours" , free translation
By Farid Assifa , Feb 2025

The elected Governor of West Java, Dedi Mulyadi, appealed to schools not to become a field for trading...

"Schools are not allowed to sell books, uniforms," Dedi emphasized in a post on Kang Dedi Mulyadi's TikTok account and reconfirmed by Kompas.com, Friday (7/2/2025).

Another thing that Dedi prohibits is that schools are not allowed to create activities that involve levies. One of these activities is a study tour that involves levies.

"Including activities such as swimming and the like that involve levies on students," added Dedi.
...
Furthermore, Dedi asked all parties related to education to work together to improve education.
"One commitment from me is that the provincial aid budget for schools will be focused on what is needed in schools, not activities with other goals," said Dedi.

 

[marcus]

I have 4 children in Indonesian public and private schools , and all of them are subjected to these kind of "mandatory expenses" from schools . My younger in SD (primary) already had to buy karate uniform , now I am paying Rp45'000/each time for swimming (usually the kid + mother , once per week) , Rp55'000 for a musical instrument (cannot be second hand or borrowed) , besides books and uniforms , of course . Study tours/counterpart tours in other cities (once per year) are also almost mandatory (I was one of the very few who refused to pay for it) .

Not that I can't afford , but I guess the majority of my kids colleagues' parents cannot afford , although almost all of them comply (from what I heard) .

 

[Shadrach]

I have 4 children in Indonesian public and private schools , and all of them are subjected to these kind of "mandatory expenses" from schools . My younger in SD (primary) already had to buy karate uniform , now I am paying Rp45'000/each time for swimming (usually the kid + mother) , Rp55'000 for a musical instrument , besides books and uniforms , of course . Study tours/counterpart tours in other cities (once per year) are also almost mandatory .

Not that I can't afford , but I guess the majority of my kids colleagues' parents cannot afford , although almost all of them comply (from what I heard) .
[/
Things like swimming, music, and karate, are specialty classes, not basic education classes, in my country. Also in public schools, the government provides the books free, and pays the teachers. Only Catholic schools require the students to wear uniforms there. And if needed, busing is also provided by the government, for public schools. As far as I know, there are no study/ counterpart tours required.
There are private schools parents can send their children to if they want, and can afford too. Also the schools pay adults to clean the public schools. Not make the children come and do it for free. Actually it's illegal to force child labor there. Teaching the kids to work a little at their capacity is good, and it can develop character. But that is the parent's job. Not allowed in schools.

 

[fastpitch17]

Low-quality teachers, rural dropouts, learning divides: Can Asia solve this education crisis?

As their governments aim for reform, CNA series Shifting Horizons explores how Indonesia, India and China plan to overcome the systemic barriers between their students and quality education, and how technology may offer new solutions.

www.channelnewsasia.com

Indonesia education ranked 66 out of 81
80% of English teachers in Jakarta can not speak English
Around 80% of teachers do not meet minimum teaching standards.

Why I say they need to start overhauling the teachers to learn proper ways to teach or get out of the profession. True, not paid well so that too needs to be looked at. Maybe instead of all those free meals.

 

[centurion]

I have 4 children in Indonesian public and private schools , and all of them are subjected to these kind of "mandatory expenses" from schools . My younger in SD (primary) already had to buy karate uniform , now I am paying Rp45'000/each time for swimming (usually the kid + mother) , Rp55'000 for a musical instrument , besides books and uniforms , of course . Study tours/counterpart tours in other cities (once per year) are also almost mandatory .

Not that I can't afford , but I guess the majority of my kids colleagues' parents cannot afford , although almost all of them comply (from what I heard) .

In which country is this provided for free by the school? Norway?

 

[centurion]

Low-quality teachers, rural dropouts, learning divides: Can Asia solve this education crisis?

As their governments aim for reform, CNA series Shifting Horizons explores how Indonesia, India and China plan to overcome the systemic barriers between their students and quality education, and how technology may offer new solutions.

www.channelnewsasia.com

Indonesia education ranked 66 out of 81
80% of English teachers in Jakarta can not speak English
Around 80% of teachers do not meet minimum teaching standards.

Why I say they need to start overhauling the teachers to learn proper ways to teach or get out of the profession. True, not paid well so that too needs to be looked at. Maybe instead of all those free meals.

This is actually a pretty good result.

 

[harryopal1]

Low-quality teachers, rural dropouts, learning divides: Can Asia solve this education crisis?

As their governments aim for reform, CNA series Shifting Horizons explores how Indonesia, India and China plan to overcome the systemic barriers between their students and quality education, and how technology may offer new solutions.

www.channelnewsasia.com

Indonesia education ranked 66 out of 81
80% of English teachers in Jakarta can not speak English
Around 80% of teachers do not meet minimum teaching standards.

Why I say they need to start overhauling the teachers to learn proper ways to teach or get out of the profession. True, not paid well so that too needs to be looked at. Maybe instead of all those free meals.

At the National Teachers Day celebration in November Prabowo announced increases in teacher salaries to "enhance teacher welfare." Didn't see any reference to quality concerns. The teachers all screamed like buggery hearing they were getting a raise.

 

[Hawk256]

At the National Teachers Day celebration in November Prabowo announced increases in teacher salaries to "enhance teacher welfare." Didn't see any reference to quality concerns. The teachers all screamed like buggary hearing they were getting a raise.

I learned a new dirty word substiute today. Thanks harry. Seriously had to look it up.

 

[harryopal1]

I learned a new dirty word substiute today. Thanks harry. Seriously had to look it up.

Australians tend to use the word a bit differently to its formal meaning. For example one might greet an old friend with, "G'day you old bugger. How are you getting on?" Or if being pestered for something or other they may say to the person, "Ahh .. go to buggery."

 

[marcus]

In which country is this provided for free by the school? Norway?

Yes not free anywhere , but I meant sold/financially managed by the teachers who mandate some non essential things to all the students (mostly poor) .

All students being obliged to buy a single type of musical instrument , all going swimming in a private place (once per week and no class in that day) , all having to buy 6 different types of uniform , ...

Does it make sense teachers selling tourism package to (mostly) poor students for the so called "study tour" , sometimes even trips abroad ? I went 16 years to schools in my country and never heard of such a thing there .

And about the quality of the education : unfortunately it is not good (my kid in the 4th grade of primary is still not good in basic mathematics (add, subtract, multiply) .
I guess the teachers were supposed to teach 5 days per week , but frequently there is no class because : they have meetings (by themselves or with the students' mothers) or as I said , they take the kids to swim , or simply , with no apparent reason , they say "tomorrow it will be online school" , which means they will send a homework through Whatsapp to the mother's group .

 

[serious_fun]

80% of English teachers in Jakarta can not speak English

A respectful correction: the article states that "in 2008...30 per cent of high school English teachers in Jakarta could not speak the language."

Ja, schools are horrible here...I have a few kids in a local 'Nasional Plus' school that is, apparently, well respected. Teaching staff are mostly untrained and hopeless, shoddy facilities, poor communication, VERY low level of competency among the local students My kids are bored and unhappy. (see my post re: homeschooling ) I can only imagine what kampung schools are like!!

 

[fastpitch17]

Yes not free anywhere , but I meant sold/financially managed by the teachers who mandate some non essential things to all the students (mostly poor) .

All students being obliged to buy a single type of musical instrument , all going swimming in a private place (once per week and no class in that day) , all having to buy 6 different types of uniform , ...

Does it make sense teachers selling tourism package to (mostly) poor students for the so called "study tour" , sometimes even trips abroad ? I went 16 years to schools in my country and never had a single "study tour" .

True on the additional cost. Indonesian always proclaims education is free but refuses to acknowledge the additional cost the school administration and teachers put in the schools. The cost of uniforms alone keeps many students from getting enrolled due to family financial situations.

I have been telling everyone I can that these schools need to be fully transparent with every rupiah collected for any reason. Acceptance fees from 4 to 6 juta per school level have no transparency. They claim they are for school activities but then turn around and charge additional for the same activity. New cars for Principals seem to be a school activity. Social gathering locally and in other cities seem to be activities. Some schools like to add a monthly fee for each student. No transparency.

These schools are denying educations for the less fortunate. People say, send them to a private Muslim school with teachers with shoddy educations themselves but they still have to pay. The alternative to all this is just not educate your child. Very unfortunate.

I see the financial discrimination all around. Everyone who makes any decent amount of money can easily see it if they want to. The only way this nation is going to move forward is through proper education if it's children. All it's children. These imbalances I see made me want to help more so I sponsor a couple children through their entire education. I am now, recently part of a group that doesn't sponsor children separately but support a school. We put together a SMP, SMA limited capacity school. Fully staffed with more modern educated teachers and administrators. Each level is limited to 30 students, 10 for each year. Tuition is Rp3,700,000 per student payable over 4 months. Tuition includes all uniforms and study material and lap top usage. SMA has a Rp75,000 monthly fee for lap top and it is yours at graduation. Students in grade 9 can be awarded scholarships for SMA based in grades in SMP. I donate through a group that want to see this school succeed. There are no well off kids in the school. Primarily students that would have been forced to give up after public SMP. The students all love this school so far and since there is more individual attention given, they are excelling in their studies. I have sponsored 2 students starting in SMP there. 2 that I know would not have been able to move past SMP. So far both are getting 90 to 100% in test and claim they love the school. I have also found that there is an increase in desire for reading. I know that is a positive. I asked one just a few days ago, what is your favorite class. His response was that he just loves studying.

People need to get involved with these kids education. Not just people who have kids attending but anyone who wants to see these kids have a future. Help give the kids the tools to be able to go after the more opportunities education affords them. That is how a nation is built for success. Stop wasting money on free meals for all and now free health check ups for all. Use some of that cash for meals and check ups for the poor and put the rest into education for the kids, not administrators while keeping checks and balances in place.

 

[fastpitch17]

A respectful correction: the article states that "in 2008...30 per cent of high school English teachers in Jakarta could not speak the language."

Ja, schools are horrible here...I have a few kids in a local 'Nasional Plus' school that is, apparently, well respected. Teaching staff are mostly untrained and hopeless, shoddy facilities, poor communication, VERY low level of competency among the local students My kids are bored and unhappy. (see my post re: homeschooling ) I can only imagine what kampung schools are like!!

Correction noted. Thanks

 

[serious_fun]

The only way this nation is going to move forward is through proper education if it's children.

agreed. The gov't is doing a great disservice to the nation, and essentially forfeiting its future, by allowing the school system to languish in the bottom 20% of the world. It borders on child abuse in my opinion.

Heads need to roll. Foreigners need to be allowed in to act as mentors and consultants at the local level.

 

[Shadrach]

A respectful correction: the article states that "in 2008...30 per cent of high school English teachers in Jakarta could not speak the language."

Ja, schools are horrible here...I have a few kids in a local 'Nasional Plus' school that is, apparently, well respected. Teaching staff are mostly untrained and hopeless, shoddy facilities, poor communication, VERY low level of competency among the local students My kids are bored and unhappy. (see my post re: homeschooling ) I can only imagine what kampung schools are like!!

How sad to hear this. Unfortunately I see the same here in Bali. It seems the educational system doesn't really educate very well. Where I live now, many of the young people ( 20's) didn't learn any Bahasa English in School, But, sure had to learn about religion! There are working here at a clinic for three months totally free, supposedly in training to go work in Japan.
All they are learning here I see, is taking blood pressure, reading diabetic charts, and maybe changing an old person's diaper. Very little training actually. It's a great deal for the boss here. Lots of workers they don't pay for 3 months!
A major problem with the educational system here is, the Governments does not pay teachers enough to give a damn, if the students learn anything or not! And where I am you're talking medical training? Scary!
Since here in Bali, it is mostly dependent on tourism, and English is mostly spoken with tourist, teaching Bahasa English would be a major subject in these schools. But it's not.
I have seen, and heard from other's that they've seen students in their teens, that can't even count to ten, but know tons of information about their religion! Is this the right way to bring up children to be prepared for their future?

 

[Shadrach]

Yes not free anywhere , but I meant sold/financially managed by the teachers who mandate some non essential things to all the students (mostly poor) .

All students being obliged to buy a single type of musical instrument , all going swimming in a private place (once per week and no class in that day) , all having to buy 6 different types of uniform , ...

Does it make sense teachers selling tourism package to (mostly) poor students for the so called "study tour" , sometimes even trips abroad ? I went 16 years to schools in my country and never had a single "study tour" .

Public schools in America are still free also! And no uniforms required!
It's not the military!

 

[Helpful Herbert]

Putting more money into education just means they will be given more religious education. If an English teacher can't speak English how does increasing the salary help?
The schools are so bad because the families themselves don't care about education. Until parents actually start to care about (non-religious) education nothing will change. It will continue to be a finishing school for taxi drivers and massage therapists and other low skilled service workers. Which probably suits the rich families (who run the country) very well indeed.

 

[Ruserious]

Public schools in America are still free also

Really? I was led to believe that its local property taxes which mostly pay for it leading to significantly better schools in areas with higher property prices and therefore increasing the social divide.

 

[Bob]

Public schools in America are still free also! And no uniforms required!
It's not the military!

Mandatory use of school uniforms has its pros and cons. On the down side it restricts individuality and fosters conformity (some see that as a benefit). On the plus side it helps bolster egalitarianism.

 

[Bob]

Putting more money into education just means they will be given more religious education. If an English teacher can't speak English how does increasing the salary help?
The schools are so bad because the families themselves don't care about education. Until parents actually start to care about (non-religious) education nothing will change. It will continue to be a finishing school for taxi drivers and massage therapists and other low skilled service workers. Which probably suits the rich families who run the country very well indeed.

I'd say that many more families care about education than not. Unfortunately the system incentivizes other paths to success.